Alyson Gerwe

While weeding in one of our garden beds, as usual attempting to prevent wild strawberries from vying for power against the vinca minor and potentilla, I found an Easter egg…from 2 years ago 🤯 Methinks magic is afoot✨ Thankfully plastic. No candy in this one, just the slip of paper that was part of a puzzle for an Easter egg that our fsmily’s scavenger hunt teams used to find the next spot in our neighborhood/yard where eggs were hidden. The true magic was the memory of the joy, laughter, and excitement of the game that this moment of serendipity brought to mind.

The Black Gamecock Iris blooms have faded for the season in my but their showstopping colors live on.

Absolutely magical of Milan, Italy captured with my iPhone 15 last week.

Wild in Ferrara, Italy 🤩 I captured these photos with my iPhone 15.

Alyssum, vinca minor, weigela, and ajuga blooming in Roses, salvia, and peony are budding. Bee balm, rhododendron, lungwort, irises, lovage, marshmallow plant, hydrangea, and rudbeckia are leafing out. A wild flush of blooms and growth so early in the year

Scilla mischtschenkoana, also known as Tubergen’s squill or white squill, is a late-winter/early-spring flowering bulb from the Asparagaceae family. It is blooming profusely in right now. I took this photo while walking in my neighborhood today. It was blooming wildly in the grassy areas between the sidewalk and the road.

When whitewater rafting the Chattooga River with one of the the first challenges is a 7’ drop! The guide tells you to get down so you don’t get tossed from the boat. Class 4 and 5 rapids couldn’t toss us out! It helps that Alex rowed with the Cincinnati Junior Rowing Club. We felt pretty proud and confident that we worked together seamlessly and made it through the challenges without incident. It was a very fun and exhilarating trip! The guides took photos of us in the boat throughout the trip and this was our favorite - not a pretty, staged photo, but a reminder of life’s challenges that we navigate together as a family team. ❤️

are blooming in my 😍

Whitewater rafting on the Chattooga River’s Class 4 and 5 rapids with was a thrilling adventure! I could barely stay focused in between rapids because of the gorgeous scenery and the hundreds of butterflies flitting about. It was designated as a National Wild and Scenic River in 1974, which has protected its primitive, wild character and incredible biodiversity. Rafting on the first trip of the spring season, we had the river basically to ourselves outside of our 4 guides and a couple of hikers. When we stopped for lunch, I could have stayed in that spot for hours longer. It was such a mesmerizing spot, with mica making the riverbed sparkle and dozens of butterflies/moths drinking, flitting, and basking in the sunshine. Plus, the rocks, crevices, and forest floor were full of wildflowers in full bloom - absolute perfection 🤩